Traditional Territory:

Learn answers to all the bird questions you've always wanted to ask in this beginner's guide, filled with wisdom and humour.

In 1983, Mike O'Connor opened the Bird Watcher's General Store, which might well have been the first store devoted solely to birding in North America. Since that time he has answered thousands of questions about birds, both at his store and while walking down the aisles of the supermarket.

The questions have ranged from:

- inquiries about individual species (Are flamingos really real?")
to
- what and when to feed birds ("Should I bring in my feeders for the summer?")
to
- the down-and-dirty specifics of backyard birding ("Why are the birds dropping poop in my pool?").

Answering the questions has been easy; keeping a straight face has been hard.

Why Don't Woodpeckers Get Headaches? is the solution for the beginning birder who already has a book that explains the slight plumage variations between doves, but who is really much more interested in why birds sing at 4:30 a.m. instead of 7:00 a.m., or whether it's okay to feed bread to birds, or how birds rediscover your feeders so quickly when you've just filled them after a long vacation. Or, for that matter, whether flamingos are really real.

Reviews
"Mike O'Connor knows birds - I mean, REALLY knows them. He has been answering questions about birds for years, and he can deliver the straight scoop with a hilarious twist that makes it unforgettable. Reading this book is almost as much fun as bird watching, and that's saying a lot!" — Kenn Kaufman, author of the Kaufman Field Guide to the Birds of North America

Few animals in the world are as famous or as infamous as the beaver, and none save our species has the ability to so dramatically transform its environment.

Beavers are remarkable animals. They have teeth that self-sharpen and never stop growing, and a heart that slows down and valves that close in their ears and noses when they dive. Their tail is the most multi-purpose of any animal on this planet; in addition to communication its many functions include serving as an air conditioner in summer and a food pantry in winter.

From mighty moose that glean sodium from aquatic plants to swallows that live in drowned trees and tiny butterflies that nectar in meadows where a pond once stood, myriad organisms benefit from the actions of beavers.

This book is a comprehensive overview of the lives of beavers and the habitats that arise from their actions. It is a visual extravaganza: approximately 400 photographs provide intimate insights into the lives of beavers and the inhabitants of their ponds and related habitats. Many new observations and rarely seen moments - such as beavers fighting - are documented in it.

Awards
Finalist for the 2015 Lane Anderson Award for the Best in Canadian Science Writing - Adult category

Reviews
"This book is a comprehensive overview of the lives of beavers and the habitats that arise from their actions. It is a visual extravaganza: approximately 400 photographs provide intimate insights into the lives of beavers and the inhabitants of their ponds and related habitats. Many new observations and rarely seen moments — such as beavers fighting — are documented in it. — Canada's History Magazine

"With stunning photographs throughout, this extraordinary book may seem more suited for the coffee table than an academic bookshelf. But the photographs do more than simply illustrate the text—they tell the story of beavers visually and powerfully, bearing witness to engineering marvels that result in complex ecosystems that benefit both beavers and other species. The accompanying text, admittedly sparse relative to the photographs, is just as important and earns the book respect as an academic resource. Runtz acknowledges that he is a naturalist, not a research biologist. But his bias as a naturalist who admires the beaver for its ecological role and skill for altering the landscape does not lessen the volume's value, which is a "blend of gleanings from ... scientific literature" and Runtz's personal observations. The familiar tone of the prose draws readers into beavers' watery world. Dozens of other species—birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, mammals, flora—are considered as co-inhabitants of beaver constructed ecosystems, and the author examines beavers' impact on the human built world. Highly recommended" — Choice Magazine

Educator Information
This image-heavy book (approximately 400 photographs) has sparse but informative text and is geared towards adults. However, the wide range of photographs and information on beavers could be useful for classroom studies of beavers.

Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time is a collection of indigenous science fiction and urban fantasy focusing on LGBT and two-spirit characters. These stories range from a transgender woman undergoing an experimental transition process to young lovers separated through decades and meeting in their own far future. These are stories of machines and magic, love and self-love.

Artists and Stories
- Grace Dillon – A foreword about Indigenous LGBT sci-fi.
- Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair – A research essay on two-spirit history.
- Richard Van Camp – Aliens – a story about a new romantic relationship on a reserve, set agonst the backdrop of benevolent interspatial visitors.
- Cherie Dimaline – Legends are Made not Born – a story of the power of family, blood and made alike. Auntie Dave teaches a young boy about the responsibility and power of his two-spirit identity.
- David Robertson – Perfectly You – a story about young love and indecision – and time travel.
- Daniel Heath Justice – The Boys Who Became the Butterflies – a new traditional story about the beautiful people that make life worth living and inspire others to live their true selves.
- Darcie Little Badger – Né łe – an astronaut and the in-house vet face challenges as chihuahuas in outer space run amok.
- Gwen Benaway – Transitions – a young office worker tries an experimental new medication designed to fast-track transition.
- Mari Kurisato – Imposter Syndrome – A story set in the far future of transition and cyborgs.
- Nathan Adler – Valediction at the Star View Motel – A story about the literal magic of sudden physical attraction as a rockabilly girl with spider magic woos her crush.
- Cleo Keahna – Parallax – a poem on the perpetual journey of transition.
- Jeffrey Veregge – cover

Awards
- 2013 On the Same Page winner

Reviews
"I'd like every single person working in literature, as a writer, an editor, or a reviewer, to get a copy and see what Native voice is like." - Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children's Literature

Additional Information
120 pages | 6.35" x 8.91"

Audience: Primarily published for adults, but recommended for ages 14 to adult.

Note: Stories have romantic elements and deal with mature subjects and themes. Includes teen characters.

Residential Schools, With the Words and Images of Survivors, A National History honours the survivors, the former students, who attended residential schools. Designed for the general reader this accessible, 112-page history offers a first-person perspective of the residential school system in Canada, as it shares the memories of more than 70 survivors from across Canada as well as 125 archival and contemporary images (65 black & white photographs, 51 colour, some never before published).

This essential volume written by award-winning author Larry Loyie (Cree), a survivor of St. Bernard Mission residential school in Grouard, AB, and co-authored by Constance Brissenden and Wayne K. Spear (Mohawk), reflects the ongoing commitment of this team to express the truths about residential school experiences and to honour the survivors whose voices are shared in this book.

Along with the voices, readers will be engaged by the evocative, archival photographs provided by the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre with the assistance of curator Krista McCracken. The book begins with the moving introduction by Larry Loyie, and moves to seven chapters that explore the purpose of this school system; cultures and traditions; leaving home; life at school the half-day system; the dark side of the schools; friendship and laughter coping with a new life; changing world–the healing begins; and an afterword. A detailed, full colour map showing residential schools, timeline with key dates, glossary, and a helpful index (including names of survivors and schools) make this vital resource a must-have for secondary, college, and universities, libraries, and the general reader.

Reviews
"A broad and comprehensive review of the history of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada told from the perspective of First Peoples in a very accessible way. Any educator, regardless of personal background or heritage, would find this timely resource very useful in any classroom." — Gary Fenn and Domenic Bellissimo, executive assistants, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation

"Written with a gentle hand, this book describes a history that few Canadians understand or even know about. From the first page, those in search of the truth are engaged in a journey of learning, as they come to understand the true battle of Aboriginal peoples to preserve their cultures and pride. This story is a true account of resiliency and human spirit." — Tracy Zweifel, executive director, Sagitawa Friendship Society, Alberta

Educator Information
This must-have resource includes a detailed, full-colour map showing residential schools, a timeline with key dates, and a glossary.

Recommended for grades 7-12, but would still be useful for adults and college/university courses studying residential schools and Indigenous history.

Poetry that takes us inside present-day First Nations reality to reveal the wounds of history and the possible healing to come.

As the title suggests, this new collection of poetry from Garry Gottfriedson of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation deals with the ways in which the world is deaf to the problems First Nations people face in Canada today.

Follow Garry Gottfriedson in this new collection of combative poems as he compels us and Heaven to listen to the challenges facing First Nation communities today. Employing many of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) images and stories, Gottfriedson takes us inside the rez and into the rooming houses in the city cores, but always drawing new strength from the land and the people who have moved upon it. He speaks of “the smell of grandmothers and grandfathers / breathing the stories into our blood” so as to “wrap our newborn in freshly made Star Quilts.”

Gottfriedson examines such issues as the Truth and Reconciliation movements as well as the missing and murdered Aboriginal women. The poems focus not only on postcolonial issues but also on First Nations internal problems. Although the book speaks of age-old themes, it explores them through fresh modern eyes offering thought-provoking and engaging prespectives. Eloquent and witty, these poems are power-packed with imagery that uncovers the raw politics of race. There is nothing polite about them. While frequently offering a bleak view of present-day First Nation conditions, the poems also provide a sense of optimism: "the hope/that the coldest day in winter/will promise serenity in spring."

Reviews
“Gottfriedson’s poetry is built to endure and it will remain with you long after this book is closed.” – Alexander MacLeod, author of Light Lifting, finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize

“Garry Gottfriedson rides double, calling out the violence and corruption he’s seen, while reminding us that grounded strength comes from staying connected to grandmothers, grandfathers, horses, and the land.” – Rita Wong, author of Forage, winner of the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize

“Gottfriedson writes us the sound of his blood, the splatter of ink on wood, and the dripping sweat and tears of prayer — all of it telling us who we are and chanting, as if in chorus, ‘survival is brilliant.’ Will we be wise or strong enough to listen?” – Shane Rhodes, author of X: Poems & Anti-Poems

Educator Information
This book of poetry would be useful for Indigenous Studies courses or literature courses such as Indigenous Literatures, Canadian Literature, and Creative Writing.

It's 1791. The year a new province is created in the country that will one day be called Canada. The year Hope Cobman's life turns around. At thirteen, she must leave the orphanage where she has lived since her mother's death one year ago. Alone in the world, she dreams of finding her father and three brothers - all complete strangers to her, for even before her birth the American Revolution had scattered her family. Forced into becoming an indentured servant, she is little more than a slave to a lonely man and his bitter, crippled mother. Finally set free, she sets off on her own. But instead of finding a father and a brother who will take care of her, she learns that it is up to her to help them recover from the wounds of war. Along the way, she discovers her own strength. For Hope, and for all the Loyalists of Upper Canada, a brighter future lies ahead.

Additional Information
220 pages | 7.63" x 5.25"

This is the fifth book in the "Forging a Nation" series. Other titles in this series include The Way Lies North, Broken Trail, Freedom Bound, and The White Oneida.

Canoe Kids Vol. 3 The Mi'kmaq of Newfoundland (Ktaqamkuk) is the third issue of a 24 edition series designed as family books for kids all ages. This eight to ten year project will see the Canoe Kids Team embed with 24 Peoples. The mandate for the full-colour book (150+ full colour high res photographs) is Exploring Indigenous Cultures through Authentic Indigenous Voices. The publication balances culture, equity and the environment in a beautiful mix that reminds the reader of the pictorial quality of National Geographic with a more in depth editorial content.

This third issue (in a series of 24) focuses on the Mi'kmaq of the Newfoundland and north Atlantic coast. In 150 pages the reader is introduced to the Mi'kmaq People who kindly assisted the Canoe Kids staff by allowing access to their traditional territory. Canoe Kids acknowledges the generosity of the Council of Flat Bay and Conn River.

Educator Information
Each edition follows a common theme and features:

1: Compelling and beautiful pictorials that draw you into the stories and place of the featured community
2: The story of the vessel used by the featured Peoples
3: Art and Food
4: A Kids Zone
5: Resources for kids, parents and educators
6: Stories by and of the featured Peoples in each edition
7: Extraordinary pictures of the lives, land and waters of the featured Peoples

The materials are equal parts cultural and environmental. The latter is a natural offshoot of the former as Indigenous cultures are wrapped around and through the lands and water and sky both spiritually and from a harvesting and gathering perspective. Indigenous Peoples have long been the caretakers of Mother Earth and we can all learn from these experts whose message is perhaps more relevant today than ever.

Indigenous communities have always included the little ones in their circles and talk and teach to them in the same way they talk and teach to young adults and adults. Canoe Kids decided to follow that inclusive way of life for the layout of each book. Rather than create editions for different age groups, Canoe Kids decided to have one book for all ages.

K through 3 use Canoe Kids to read beautiful and ancient stories. There is beautiful original art to explore and a Kids Zone with puzzles, word searches, colouring, cutouts and more. Mid grades use the materials to study the culture, food and wildlife of the featured cultures. Grades 8 through 12 use stories that are more in depth from Dr. David Suzuki about the environment and there are discussion articles about living well and properly with Mother Nature as well as articles about the history and geography of the featured People.

Canoe Kids Vol. 2 The Haida is the second issue of a 24 edition series designed as family books for kids all ages. This eight-year project will see the Canoe Kids Team embed with 24 Peoples the publication designed as a family book for kids all ages. The mandate for the full-colour book (197 full colour high res photographs) is Exploring Indigenous Cultures through Authentic Indigenous Voices. The publication balances culture, equity and the environment in a beautiful mix that reminds the reader of the pictorial quality of National Geographic with a more in depth editorial content.

This second issue focuses on the Haida Nation of Haida Gwaii. In 165 pages the reader is introduced to the Haida People who kindly assisted the Canoe Kids staff by allowing access to Haida territory. Canoe Kids acknowledges the generosity of the Council of Haida Nation, the Haida Museum and the Haida Heritage Centre.

Educator Information
Each edition follows a common theme and features:

1: Compelling and beautiful pictorials that draw you into the stories and place of the featured community
2: The story of the vessel used by the featured Peoples
3: Art and Food
4: A Kids Zone
5: Resources for kids, parents and educators
6: Stories by and of the featured Peoples in each edition
7: Extraordinary pictures of the lives, land and waters of the featured Peoples

The materials are equal parts cultural and environmental. The latter is a natural offshoot of the former as Indigenous cultures are wrapped around and through the lands and water and sky both spiritually and from a harvesting and gathering perspective. Indigenous Peoples have long been the caretakers of Mother Earth and we can all learn from these experts whose message is perhaps more relevant today than ever.

Indigenous communities have always included the little ones in their circles and talk and teach to them in the same way they talk and teach to young adults and adults. Canoe Kids decided to follow that inclusive way of life for the layout of each book. Rather than create editions for different age groups, Canoe Kids decided to have one book for all ages.

K through 3 use Canoe Kids to read beautiful and ancient stories. There is beautiful original art to explore and a Kids Zone with puzzles, word searches, colouring, cutouts and more. Mid grades use the materials to study the culture, food and wildlife of the featured cultures. Grades 8 through 12 use stories that are more in depth from Dr. David Suzuki about the environment and there are discussion articles about living well and properly with Mother Nature as well as articles about the history and geography of the featured People.

Canoe Kids Vol. 1 The Ojibwe of Great Spirit Island is the first issue of a 24 edition series designed as family books for kids all ages. This eight-year project will see the Canoe Kids Team embed with 24 Peoples. The mandate for the full-colour book (161 full colour high res photographs) is Exploring Indigenous Cultures through Authentic Indigenous Voices. The publication balances culture, equity and the environment in a beautiful mix that reminds the reader of the pictorial quality of National Geographic with a more in depth editorial content.

This first issue (in a series of 24) focuses on the Ojibwe People of Great Spirit Island (Manitoulin Island). In 129 pages the reader is introduced to the Ojibwe People who kindly assisted the Canoe Kids staff by allowing access to their traditional territory. Canoe Kids acknowledges the generosity of the Council of Aundeck Omni Kanning and the People of the six Manitoulin communities.

Educator Information
Each edition follows a common theme and features:

1: Compelling and beautiful pictorials that draw you into the stories and place of the featured community
2: The story of the vessel used by the featured Peoples
3: Art and Food
4: A Kids Zone
5: Resources for kids, parents and educators
6: Stories by and of the featured Peoples in each edition
7: Extraordinary pictures of the lives, land and waters of the featured Peoples

The materials are equal parts cultural and environmental. The latter is a natural offshoot of the former as Indigenous cultures are wrapped around and through the lands and water and sky both spiritually and from a harvesting and gathering perspective. Indigenous Peoples have long been the caretakers of Mother Earth and we can all learn from these experts whose message is perhaps more relevant today than ever.

Indigenous communities have always included the little ones in their circles and talk and teach to them in the same way they talk and teach to young adults and adults. Canoe Kids decided to follow that inclusive way of life for the layout of each book. Rather than create editions for different age groups, Canoe Kids decided to have one book for all ages.

CANOE KIDS is an ideal ongoing resource for teachers and is well received in all libraries. Articles are organized and developed so that there are materials for every age group, grade level, subject and interest.

K through 3 use Canoe Kids to read beautiful and ancient stories. There is beautiful original art to explore and a Kids Zone with puzzles, word searches, colouring, cutouts and more. Mid grades use the materials to study the culture, food and wildlife of the featured cultures. Grades 8 through 12 use stories that are more in depth from Dr. David Suzuki about the environment and there are discussion articles about living well and properly with Mother Nature as well as articles about the history and geography of the featured People.

Louis Riel has been described as a "saint, sinner, rebel, hero, prophet, madman and traitor." It is no more clear today than it was during his lifetime which of these labels is closest to the truth.

The Métis leader was educated in Montreal, but an itch for political involvement Brough him back to his home in Red River. In 1870 he led a takeover of Fort Garry in protest against the sale of Red River to the Canadian government. The execution of Thomas Scott by Riel's Provisional Government caught Ottawa's attention, and Red River was given provincial status. Despite the political victory, Riel had to leave the country, in fear for his life. Feelings against him ran so high in the East that he had to be smuggled into Parliament even when duly elected by the people of Manitoba.

Riel suffered from mental illness after the 1870 Rebellion and spent some time in an asylum. He exiled himself to a Métis settlement in Montana, where he taught school, until Gabriel Dumont persuaded him to come back to Red River in 1884. The 1885 Rebellion against the Ottawa government proved unsuccessful. The Métis forces were soundly defeated by Canadian troops. Riel was captured and accused of treason. His trial and subsequent execution split the country along racial and religious lines.

Historian Rosemary Neering's vivid account brings to life the story of Riel's contradictory character, colourful times, and lasting influence.

After overcoming years of trouble with his alcoholic father and surviving a near-death car accident, Bobby Byington - for the first time in his life - has a strong family. His parents are reunited, his father has turned away from the bottle, and he is a starter on the basketball team at his high school.

But the door to trouble never stays closed. Bobby's girlfriend, next-door-neighbor Faye, suffers attacks from a bullying classmate, and some of Bobby's basketball teammates are dealing with family problems that are all too familiar to him. Maybe Bobby's old backyard hideout will need to be uncovered again and the door reopened.

Hoping to help his friends, Bobby shares the Choctaw legend of No Name that Coach Robison had told him back when Bobby needed to hide from his father. Who knew Coach's wisdom would become so meaningful to others?

As the playoffs near and the team plays to win, Coach delivers a message that extends well beyond the basketball court: "Your life is carved by the choices you make. You earn your name by your actions."

Educator Information
Reading Level: 2.5

Recommended Ages: 12-16

This book is a PathFinders series Hi/Lo reader, a high interest, low readability book that supports reluctant or struggling readers.

This powerful novel about a woman's self-discovery reinforces Lee Maracle's stature as one of the most important First Nations writers in North America. The novel incorporates an innovative structure - one based on Salish Nation storytelling - to depict the transformation of Marilyn, a First Nations woman who is alienated from her culture, her family, and herself. By discovering her own culture's ways and listening to the natural world, Marilyn begins to heal her deep-rooted hurt and gradually becomes reconciled with her estranged daughters. Here is a moving work about First Nations people in the modern world, and the importance of courage, truth, and reconciliation.

"A bunch of Wild women once wandered this land and thought that their dinners had gotten too bland. They set out in search of fine foods they could get and ate up the sounds of the whole alphabet."

This quirky ABC book for older children and adults has Indigenous themes and unusual collaged illustrations. Each letter of the alphabet presents a short story designed to cover teaching objectives ranging from letter recognition, letter sounds, rhyming, word families, vocabulary, consonant blending, contractions, compound words and more.

Joseph Brant, the greatest Iroquois leader, was a powerful organizer of his own people and a loyal ally of the British colonial forces. Born in 1742, Brant gained his first battle experience at the age of thirteen, in the wars against the French. His loyalty to the British continued and by 1757 he had earned a commission as captain.

It was Brant who encouraged the Six Nations Confederacy to ally with the British against the French, and then against the rebelling American colonists. With the retreat of the British after the revolution, Brant and his people were forced to emigrate to a tract of land along the Grand River in Upper Canada. Here Brant began a new struggle against colonial domination and restrictive land regulations which was to continue until his death.

The biography presents Brant's story as a focus for a broader issues of the time: the converging of two very different cultures, the expansion of settlement in the New World, and the violent struggles for colonial power.

When Crowfoot was born in 1830, the Blackfoot Confederacy was a powerful nation living free in the prairies. But as Crowfoot was growing up, earning a reputation for courage and wisdom, the Blackfoot way of life was disintegrating.

Humiliated and bewildered, the Blackfoot had to accept government food rations in order to avoid starvation. Crowfoot, born to be a warrior but destined to become a peacemaker, was the Blackfoot spokesman in this time of crisis. Sensing that settlement was inevitable, and committed above all to peace, he encouraged cooperation with the government and the NWMP.

He persuaded other chiefs to sign treaty Number Seven, and refrained from supporting the Northwest Rebellion. The task of restraining a people who placed a high value on bold warfare was difficult, and Crowfoot's peaceful policies were sometimes unpopular with his own people. Nevertheless, he succeeded in preserving peace between two very different cultures. His success was due to his eloquence and diplomacy, and above all to his personal integrity.

As historian Carlotta Hacker observes in this thoughtful biography, "Crowfoot stood for courage, loyalty, patience, honesty, generosity - virtues that are as old as humankind."

Born in St. Boniface in 1837 of French and Indian parentage, Gabriel Dumont's childhood was spent in the Saskatchewan country, where he grew accustomed to the semi-nomadic existence of the Métis. These were the proud days of the Métis nation, when its people roamed freely throughout the Prairies. The most stable social institution was the annual buffalo hunt with its rules. When Gabriel Dumont became head of the Great Saskatchewan Hunt in 1862 the end of the nomadic lifestyle was already in sight.

As the buffalo herds dwindled, the Métis began to form more permanent settlements, but were alarmed when their pleas for recognition of their land rights were ignored by Sir John A Macdonald's government. Dumont appealed to Louis Riel, leader of the Red River Rebellion.

Riel spoke up for the Saskatchewan Metis, but their petitions were ignored. In 1885, the Métis took up arms against the government forces. Dumont spurred the outnumbered rebels to several victories. After the Métis defeat, Dumont fled to the United States where he spent time with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show until an amnesty was declared and he was able to return to his home.

Stress can make you feel anxious, awful, and afraid. It can leave you jumpy and jittery, upset and uptight. When kids show signs of stress, they need stress management tools that work. With jokes, fun illustrations, and plenty of authentic examples, this book helps kids understand what stress is - and gives tons of tips to cope. Refreshed to address modern stressors like electronic devices and social media, this updated classic helps kids deal with stress like a seasoned panic mechanic.

How can Shane reconcile his feelings for David with his desire for a better life?

Shane is still reeling from the suicide of his kid sister, Destiny. How could he have missed the fact that she was so sad? He tries to share his grief with his girlfriend, Tara, but she’s too concerned with her own needs to offer him much comfort. What he really wants is to be able to turn to the one person on the rez whom he loves—his friend, David.

Things go from bad to worse as Shane’s dream of going to university is shattered and his grieving mother withdraws from the world. Worst of all, he and David have to hide their relationship from everyone. Shane feels that his only chance of a better life is moving to Toronto, but David refuses to join him. When yet another tragedy strikes, the two boys have to make difficult choices about their future together.

With deep insight into the life of Indigenous people on the reserve, this book masterfully portrays how a community looks to the past for guidance and comfort while fearing a future of poverty and shame. Shane’s rocky road to finding himself takes many twists and turns, but ultimately ends with him on a path that doesn’t always offer easy answers, but one that leaves the reader optimistic about his fate.

Reviews
“Complex, vulnerable emotion is embedded within the specificity of the writing in this dramatic prose debut. Jones avoids clichés of reservation life, humanizing the stories of how his people reconcile the trauma of suicide, missing family members, same-sex relationships, and the isolation of a community left to fend for itself. A touching story that has been a long time coming for the Indigenous community.”
— Kirkus Reviews

“This complex, well-written debut will resonate with young people . . . A great coming-out novel with Native American protagonists; recommended for all teen collections.”
— Jill Baetiong, School Library Journal

“A powerful, challenging book that is full of deeply meaningful turns as it boldly encourages living life to the best of one’s abilities.”
— Foreword Reviews

"A stunning debut. If you loved the movie Fire Song, get ready to swoon over this movie-to-novel adaptation. The tension, beauty, desperation, hunger for someone, hunger for yourself, a family at the crossroads and a highway that's calling--it's all here. Completely riveting. Completely compelling. Adam Garnet Jones, I would follow you and your characters anywhere. Bravo! A literary and unforgettable masterpiece."
— Richard Van Camp, author of The Lesser Blessed

Follow Travis Hawk on a cross-country trek as he escapes a world of brutality and uncertainty and puts his trust, and even his very life, in the hands of total strangers. Travis's story is one of struggle, survival, risk, and resilience, navigating a solo journey of hundreds of miles to seek a safe haven, far from the demons of his past.

Reviews
"The Long Run is a stirring story about a young man who empowers himself to succeed against the odds. Travis Hawk is a pathfinder indeed."
— Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education, August 2017

Educator Information
Reading Level: 2.5

Recommended Ages: 12 to 16

This book is a PathFinders series Hi/Lo reader, a high interest, low readability book that supports reluctant or struggling readers.

An anthology of stories and poetry written by Canadian LGBTQ2 authors who are immigrants, refugees, or Canada-born.

“What does it mean to be LGBTQ2 in Canada? The only possible answer to that question is one given in many voices. That is exactly what this book offers. There is struggle in these stories and poems, but there is also strength and resilience, compassion and determination. Woven together these voices leave me with a sense of hopefulness: a belief that the creativity and fierce commitment of our community will carry us forward as we work to create a Canada that lives up to the dream of freedom and safety it represents to so many people around the world.” — Robin Stevenson, author of Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community

Review
The anthology pieces are diverse with authors who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and 2-Spirited. It also includes stunning artwork by LGBTQ artists and allies. — Rainbow Refugee Society

This introductory field guide is designed for the beach explorer, the boater, the skin diver, and the scuba diver. Rick has limited its contents to the most common species, which can be seen from, or along, the seashore, or in the shallows. It's easy-to-spot features will guide the beginner into the wonderful world of the western seashore.

Northwest Dryland Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the drier areas east of the Pacific Crest in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Identification is made easy by arranging the flowers by the colour of the petals, so that even the novice can simply open the book to the appropriate section and watch for the species in question. Northwest Dryland Wildflowers is illustrated with one or more colour photographs and is accompanied by identification tips.

Northwest Dryland Wildflowers is a part of the Northwest Wildflower Series, which also includes Northwest Mountain Flowers and Northwest Coastal Wildflowers. Mountain Flowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the mountain and alpine regions in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; Coastal Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; and Dryland Wildflowers, as mentioned above, will help you identify the most common flowers of the drier areas east of the Pacific Crest in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. As a complete set, Dryland Wildflowers, Coastal Wildflowers and Mountain Wildflowers will enable you to identify over 500 of the wildflowers throughout the varied landscapes of the Northwest, and will thus continually draw your eye to beauty, adding to the enjoyment of any journey through the region.

Northwest Coastal Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Identification is made easy by arranging the flowers by the colour of the petals, so that even the novice can simply open the book to the appropriate section and watch for the species in question. Northwest Coastal Wildflowers is illustrated with one or more colour photographs and is accompanied by identification tips.

Northwest Coastal Wildflowers is a part of the Northwest Wildflower Series, which also includes Northwest Mountain Flowers and Northwest Dryland Wildflowers. Mountain Flowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the mountain and alpine regions in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; Dryland Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the drier areas east of the Pacific Crest in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; and Coastal Wildflowers, as mentioned above, will help you identify the most common flowers of the coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. As a complete set, Dryland Wildflowers, Coastal Wildflowers and Mountain Wildflowers will enable you to identify over 500 of the wildflowers throughout the varied landscapes of the Northwest, and will thus continually draw your eye to beauty, adding to the enjoyment of any journey through the region.

Northwest Mountain Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the mountain and alpine regions in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Identification is made easy by arranging the flowers by the colour of the petals, so that even the novice can simply open the book to the appropriate section and watch for the species in question. Northwest Mountain Wildflowers is illustrated with one or more colour photographs and is accompanied by identification tips.

Northwest Mountain Wildflowers is a part of the Northwest Wildflower Series, which also includes Northwest Coastal Flowers and Northwest Dryland Wildflowers. Coastal Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the coastal regions of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; Dryland Wildflowers will help you identify the most common flowers of the drier areas east of the Pacific Crest in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia; and Mountain Flowers, as mentioned above, will help you identify the most common flowers of the mountain and alpine regions in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. As a complete set, Dryland Wildflowers, Coastal Wildflowers and Mountain Wildflowers will enable you to identify over 500 of the wildflowers throughout the varied landscapes of the Northwest, and will thus continually draw your eye to beauty, adding to the enjoyment of any journey through the region.

Wild Berries contains a simple key and nearly 100 magnificent colour photographs to guide you quickly to berry identification. Let us look together at the more commonly seen wild berries plants of the Pacific Northwest - roughly the area west of the Rocky Mountains from southern Alaska to the Columbia River of further. We won't cover every last kind, for some may be left out that few of us will ever see. This book is not for the serious botanist, but for the family or individual seeking simple and reliable information about the berries along our roads and trails. Because this is not for the expert, we shall take some other liberties. We'll use the word berry in the popular sense rather than in the more restricted sense applied by the botanist. Also, we shall lump together some closely related kinds of plants.

In her book, Native Rock Carvings of the Northwest Coast, Beth Hill gives a fascinating introduction to the subject of Aboriginal Petroglyphs of the Northwest Coastal Region - BC, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. Beth Hill and her husband Ray travelled the coast for close to 20 years, recording the known sites, and discovering others.

A must-have guide to Native petroglyphs.

Review
... a concise and clearly written treatise on the topic. It explains the relationship between religion and art, cosmology and self-expression. Beth Hill's descriptions of rock carvings written in the context of their possible shamanistic meanings bring each engraved scene she describes to life.... For such a small book, it is one of the most complete treatments I have read. The black and white pictures are great, and she gives you the story behind each example. One seldom comes across a book that gives so much information in so small a format.
— D.L. Cannonon

In the winter of 1750, a holy iron (flintlock rifle) and two Frenchmen are thrust into the lives of the Sicangu Lakota. Whirlwind, a war chief, finds his people divided in their feelings about the intrusion of the holy iron into their lives and what it could mean to their future.

Additional Information
304 pages | 5.54" x 8.51"

This book is available only by special import order, meaning it may take longer than normal to receive.

Denied her Indigenous status, Lynn Gehl has been fighting her entire life to reclaim mino-pimadiziwin--the good life. Exploring Anishinaabeg philosophy and Anishinaabeg conceptions of truth, Gehl shows how she came to locate her spirit and decolonize her identity, thereby becoming, in her words, "fully human." Gehl also provides a harsh critique of Canada and takes on important anti-colonial battles, including sex discrimination in the Indian Act and the destruction of sacred places.

Reviews
Gehl is at the cutting edge with her concepts and ideas... She is on a journey and documents it well.
— Lorelei Anne Lambert, author of Research for Indigenous Survival

The discussion of the heart and mind knowledge, as well as the discussion on the Anishinaabeg Clan System of Governance, [are] major contributions to the research.
— Marlyn Bennett, co-editor of Pushing the Margins

"Throughout Claiming Anishinaabe, the conversation remains rooted in the destructive effects of oppressive power on the human spirit, and an insistence that both knowledge and spirituality are key in reclaiming one’s sense of self."
— Quill & Quire

Educator Information
This book would be useful for the following subject areas or courses: Indigenous Studies, Canadian History (Post-Confederation), Social Science, Autobiography/Biography Studies, Spirituality, and Law.

Creation through Colour is a unique and imaginative colouring book that encourages not only colouring, but also drawing, creativity and connecting with nature's beauty. Working with this book will reveal the knowledge that is within one's hands. This learning and growing will deepen understanding of nature's garden of beauty and textures. The book is suitable for all ages except the very young.

Measureable, data driven outcomes are not the only indicators of success in today’s multicultural and globalized workforce. How employees interact with their colleagues and customers is also a significant factor in their career development.

Luciara Nardon draws on her extensive research and international experience to guide employees and managers through the ambiguous and uncertain waters of today’s multicultural workplace. Each intercultural encounter is unique, involving different people, contexts, dynamics, and actions which general cultural protocols are unable to address. In Working in a Multicultural World, Nardon offers a comprehensive framework for understanding intercultural interactions and developing skills for successful intercultural situations. Numerous examples and exercises, including how to reconcile personal beliefs of equality with a hierarchical workplace and how to respond to perceived aggressiveness in business negotiations, enable employees and managers to embark on reflective processes that will springboard their intercultural competence. Working in a Multicultural World is an accessibly written and valuable resource for all professionals in today’s workplace as well as students and travelers interested in intercultural relations.

Huuq is a young Inuit boy who has never fit in to camp life. One day, fleeing yet another attack from the camp bullies, Huuq finds himself alone and far away from camp, with only his dog Qipik as company.

On a lonesome hill, they find an egg. But this is no ordinary bird's egg. It's big. And almost looks like a stone.

When Huuq breaks this mysterious egg, it unleashes a series of events that turn Huuq himself into a monstrous half-human creature. As Huuq tries to figure out why he has been turned into a monster, what the egg and its contents mean, and how he can return to his natural self, he is thrust into a world of fearsome creatures, mystical powers, and an evil the likes of which Huuq has never encountered.

Activating the Heart is an exploration of storytelling as a tool for knowledge production and sharing to build new connections between people and their histories, environments, and cultural geographies. The collection pays particular attention to the significance of storytelling in Indigenous knowledge frameworks and extends into other ways of knowing in works where scholars have embraced narrative and story as a part of their research approach.

In the first section, Storytelling to Understand, authors draw on both theoretical and empirical work to examine storytelling as a way of knowing. In the second section, Storytelling to Share, authors demonstrate the power of stories to share knowledge and convey significant lessons, as well as to engage different audiences in knowledge exchange. The third section, Storytelling to Create, contains three poems and a short story that engage with storytelling as a means to produce or create knowledge, particularly through explorations of relationship to place.

The result is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue that yields important insights in terms of qualitative research methods, language and literacy, policy-making, human–environment relationships, and healing. This book is intended for scholars, artists, activists, policymakers, and practitioners who are interested in storytelling as a method for teaching, cross-cultural understanding, community engagement, and knowledge exchange.

Educator Information
This book would be useful for the following subjects: Indigenous Studies, Literary Criticism, Creative Writing, and Social Science.

In the first novel in the Barkerville Mystery series, protagonist Ted MacIntosh tries to unravel a suspicious murder with possible fatal consequences.

lt’s summer in 1866 in the Cariboo gold fields, and a man has disappeared. Young Ted learns from the local barber, Moses, that his friend Charles, who was travelling to the gold fields, has failed to arrive. And a forbidding stranger named James Barry has arrived in town wearing a gold nugget pin that belonged to the missing man. What could have happened to him? Was James Barry responsible for his disappearance? Moses and Ted are suspicious – but they’re also afraid for their own safety. Slowly, with several adventures and close calls, they unravel the story of a cruel murder. But have they identified the right criminal?

Shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, based on a real unsolved murder that took place in Barkerville, B.C., and set against the exciting backdrop of the Gold Rush era, Moses, Me, and Murder offers a captivating tale of betrayal, thievery, and redemption.

"...teachers will find this well-researched resource to be a useful addition in their BC history lessons. As for young people, Moses, Me and Murder is an enjoyable and quick read that will transport the reader back to the early days of British Columbia."
— Canadian Materials

Additional Information
This is the second edition of Moses, Me, and Murder, and the first novel in the Barkerville Mystery series. A first edition, published in 1988 and entitled Moses, Me & Murder: A Story of the Cariboo Gold Rush is out of print.

A work of historical fiction about Sequoyah and the creation of the Cherokee alphabet, from the acclaimed author of Code Talker

Thirteen-year-old Uwohali has not seen his father, Sequoyah, for many years. So when Sequoyah returns to the village, Uwohali is eager to reconnect. But Sequoyah’s new obsession with making strange markings causes friends and neighbors in their tribe to wonder whether he is crazy, or worse—practicing witchcraft. What they don’t know, and what Uwohali discovers, is that Sequoyah is a genius and his strange markings are actually an alphabet representing the sounds of the Cherokee language.

The story of one of the most important figures in Native American history is brought to life for middle grade readers. This text includes a note about the historical Sequoyah, the Cherokee syllabary, a glossary of Cherokee words, and suggestions for further reading in the back matter.

Reviews
* “Bruchac has crafted a tale of depth and universal humanity in this fictionalized account of Sequoyah, the creator of the Cherokee syllabary, and his son, Jesse." —School Library Journal, starred review

“Although the particulars of the novel occur two hundred years ago, the universality of fitting into a blended family and looking for love and acceptance from a once-absent father feel strikingly contemporary." —Horn Book

"A vivid retelling of a pivotal time for the Cherokee nation.” —Kirkus Reviews

In this collection of chapters, Joe Starr shares his history, the teachings of those who love and who have loved him dearly. Readers gain a better understanding of the histories and traditions of the Haisla people through these personal stories.

This collection of chapters is dedicated to the Haisla and Heiltsuk children.

While everyone is busy preparing for the coming winter, two girls wander away from their camp, following a path of strange, beautiful stones. Each stone is lovelier than the last, and the trail leads them farther and farther away from camp. But what starts out as a peaceful afternoon on the tundra quickly turns dangerous when the girls find themselves trapped in the cave of Mangittatuarjuk—the Gnawer of Rocks! Based on a traditional Inuit story, this graphic novel introduces readers to a dark and twisted creature that haunts the Arctic landscape and preys on unsuspecting children…

This poetry collections focuses on a hybridized Indigiqueer Trickster character named Zoa who brings together the organic (the protozoan) and the technologic (the binaric) in order to re-beautify and re-member queer Indigeneity. This Trickster is a Two-Spirit / Indigiqueer invention that resurges in the apocalypse to haunt, atrophy, and to reclaim. Following oral tradition (Ã la Iktomi, Nanaboozho, Wovoka), Zoa infects, invades, and becomes a virus to canonical and popular worksin order to re-centre Two-Spirit livelihoods. They dazzlingly and fiercely take on the likes of Edmund Spenser, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and John Milton while also not forgetting contemporary pop culture figures such as Lana Del Rey, Grindr, and Peter Pan. Zoa world-builds a fourth-dimension, lives in the cyber space, and survives in NDN-time – they have learned to sing the skin back onto their bodies and remain #woke at the end of the world. “Do not read me as a vanished ndn,” they ask, “read me as a ghastly one.”

Two award-winning voices.
Two stories on Reconciliation.
Two amazing covers.
One unforgettable book.

The Journey Forward, A Novella On Reconciliation:

When We Play Our Drums, They Sing!

by Richard Van Camp

This the story of 12-year-old Dene Cho, who is angry that his people are losing their language, traditions, and ways of being. Elder Snowbird is there to answer some of Dene Cho’s questions, and to share their history including the impact Residential schools continue to have on their people. It is through this conversation with Snowbird that Dene Cho begins to find himself, and begins to realize that understanding the past can ultimately change the future.

Tessa Macintosh’s wonderful photographs are featured on the cover and interior of this memorable story.

The Journey Forward, A Novella On Reconciliation:

Lucy & Lola

by Monique Gray Smith

Lucy and Lola are 11-year-old twins who are heading to Gabriola Island, BC, to spend the summer with their Kookum (grandmother) while their mother studies for the bar exam. During their time with Kookum, the girls begin to learn about her experiences in being sent — and having to send their mother — to Residential school. Ultimately, they discover what it means to be inter-generational survivors.

Tim Tingle's first novel in the contemporary No Name series depicts the struggles of Choctaw teen Bobby Byington. A strong-willed and determined high school basketballer, Bobby must carve a path through the dark world of his father's alcoholism and angry nature. In the second book, No More No Name, Bobby's mother returns home, and Bobby's basketball team, galvanized by his impressive shooting skills, begins to win. But trouble looms when his father's cravings resurface "Son, I hope you never fully understand what I'm going through. Every day, every hour, every minute. An owl claws on me from inside my chest. The desire to have one-just one more drink-that is the owl."

Echo Desjardins, a 13-year-old Métis girl adjusting to a new home and school, is struggling with loneliness while separated from her mother. Then an ordinary day in Mr. Bee’s history class turns extraordinary, and Echo’s life will never be the same. During Mr. Bee’s lecture, Echo finds herself transported to another time and place—a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie—and back again to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time. She visits a Métis camp, travels the old fur-trade routes, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars.

Pemmican Wars is the first graphic novel in a new series, A Girl Called Echo, by Governor General Award–winning writer, and author of The Seven Teaching Stories, Katherena Vermette.

A compilation of stories that meld both culture and bloodlines, Chilcotin Chronicles by Sage Birchwater is set in the wild and untamed country of central British Columbia’s Chilcotin Plateau. West of the Fraser River, this high country is contained by an arc of impenetrable mountain ranges that separates it from the Pacific Coast. The first inhabitants of this region were fiercely independent, molded by the land itself. Those who came later were drawn to this landscape with its mysterious aura of freedom, where time stood still and where a person could find solace in the wilderness and never be found.

Birchwater reaches back to first European contact in British Columbia when the indigenous population spoke forty of Canada’s fifty-four languages and seventy of Canada’s one hundred dialects. The land known today as the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast was already an entity when Alexander Mackenzie arrived in 1793. Bonds of friendship, mutual support and family ties had long been established between the Dakelh, Tsilhqot’in and Nuxalk, giving cohesiveness to the region. Chilcotin Chronicles is about the men and women caught in the interface of cultures and the changing landscape. Indigenous inhabitants and white newcomers brought together by the fur brigades, then later by the gold rush, forged a path together, uncharted and unpredictable. Birchwater discovers that their stories, seemingly disconnected, are intrinsically linked together to create a human ecosystem with very deep roots. The lives of these early inhabitants give substance to the landscape. They give meaning to the people who live there today.

When Kameron moves to his grandma's sheep camp on the Navajo Reservation, he leaves behind his cell phone reception and his friends. The young boy's world becomes even stranger when Kameron takes the sheep out to the local windmill and meets an old storyteller. As the seasons turn, the old man weaves eight tales that teach the deeper story of the Diné country and the Diné people.

That's so gay! It's a phrase commonly heard in school halls and playgrounds. But when used as a put-down, it's also homophobic. With plenty of quizzes, Q+As, comics, and scenarios, this interactive and highly visual new book in the Deal With It series helps kids determine what is -- and what isn't -- homophobia, and what they can do to make their schools, homes, and communities more safe and inclusive for everyone.

Humour is a great way to deal with conflict, but it can lead to conflict, too. Whether intentional or not, teasing can cause offense, hurt feelings, and create misunderstandings. This book offers young people help in dealing with problems that stem from teasing and other kinds of humour.

Of the many resources available to the First Nations of the Northwest Coast, the most vital was fish. The people devised ingenious ways of catching the different species of fish, creating a technology vastly different from that of today’s industrial world. With attention to clarity and detail, Hilary Stewart illustrates their hooks, lines, sinkers, lures, floats, clubs, spears, harpoons, nets, traps, rakes and gaffs, showing how these were made and used in over 450 remastered drawings and 75 photographs. With material gathered from museum archives, fish camps and coastal village elders, the scope of this classic volume covers everything from how the catch was butchered, cooked, rendered and preserved to the attributes of fish designs on household and ceremonial objects—images that tell of fishing’s importance to the whole culture. The spiritual aspects of fishing are also described—prayers and ceremonies in gratitude and honour to the fish, as well as customs and taboos indicating the people’s respect for this life-giving resource.

An incredibly varied and highly refined assemblage of tools, techniques and knowledge, the culmination of thousands of years of evolutionary development, Indian Fishing is more than a bare account of the technology of fishing; it is about fish and fishing in the total lives of the Northwest Coast people. A classic, thoroughly researched and informative text, it examines fishing techniques of a people who have lived on the coast for over 9,000 years to reveal their complex and rich culture.

Louis Riel arrives at Batoche in 1884 to help the Métis fight for their lands and discovers that the rebellious outsider Josette Lavoie is a granddaughter of the famous chief Big Bear, whom he needs as an ally. But Josette learns of Riel's hidden agenda - to establish a separate state with his new church at its head - and refuses to help him. Only when the great Gabriel Dumont promises her that he will not let Riel fail does she agree to join the cause. In this raw wilderness on the brink of change, the lives of seven unforgettable characters converge, each one with secrets: Louis Riel and his tortured wife Marguerite; a duplicitous Catholic priest; Gabriel Dumont and his dying wife Madeleine; a Hudson's Bay Company spy; and the enigmatic Josette Lavoie. As the Dominion Army marches on Batoche, Josette and Gabriel must manage Riel's escalating religious fanaticism and a growing attraction to each other. Song of Batoche is a timeless story that traces the borderlines of faith and reason, obsession and madness, betrayal and love.

Reviews
"This passionate retelling uses women's eyes to reveal the hidden history behind Riel and Gabriel Dumont. Deeply researched, and rooted in the soil of Batoche." - Marina Endicott, author of the Giller-nominated Close to Hugh

"Combining fine research and engaging storytelling, Song of Batoche is a stirring fictionalized account of events in and around the 1885 North-West Resistance. Josette Lavoie is an intriguing and memorable heroine." - Katherena Vermette, author of the The Break and winner of the Governor General's Award

"Caron weaves a tale of love, betrayal and obsession . . . a vivid and fast-paced retelling of this moment in Canadian history." - Toronto Star

"A fascinating and beautifully written account of Louis Riel and the months preceding the Battle of Batoche, as seen through the eyes of the Metis women. This is a perspective we've not seen before, and Caron handles it with compassion and depth." Lauren B. Davis, author of the Giller-nominated Our Daily Bread

First published in 1934, this collection of tales was recorded and edited by Thelma Adamson (1901–83), a student of Franz Boas and one of the first women to conduct ethnographic fieldwork in the Pacific Northwest. A major contribution to our knowledge of western Washington Salish oral traditions, Folk-Tales of the Coast Salish contains 190 texts from nineteen consultants—most collected in English or in English translation. The 155 stories represent Upper Chehalis and Cowlitz Salish narrative traditions, primarily myths and tales, and constitute the largest published body of oral literature for either of these groups. Adamson included as many as four variants of the same tale-type, and Adele Froehlich prepared a useful forty-three-page section of abstracts with comparative notes from eight regional text collections. Folk-Tales of the Coast Salish provides a rich data source for those interested in the content and comparative analysis of Native texts told in English. With few exceptions, the tales refer to the time “when all the animals were people.”

This new edition enhances Adamson’s seminal work with the inclusion of a biographical sketch of Adamson and of her friend and noted ethnomusicologist George Herzog, who produced the appended music transcriptions

The brilliant follow-up to RED: A Haida Manga — another stunningly inventive retelling of an ancient Haida tale.

The latest offering from acclaimed graphic artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, War of the Blink is a stunning full-colour graphic novel about war and peace.

It is the story of a fisherman who suspects a party of raiders is descending upon his island home. When his warnings are not heeded, the man sets out to guard the village on his own, only to find himself caught up in a high-stakes game of kidnap and bluff.

All this leads to a final showdown, in which one of the sides must blink first—and the villagers find a surprising way to save face and their home, and avoid bloodshed.

Combining traditional Northwest coast and Japanese comic art in Yahgulanaas’ own, dizzingly original mish-mash, War of the Blink is a timeless fable about the bravery it takes to choose peace over war.

An earlier version of the artwork was displayed at the Vancouver Art Gallery a part of the groundbreaking exhibition “Raven Travelling.”

When Cole Harper is compelled to return to Wounded Sky First Nation, he finds his community in chaos: a series of shocking murders, a mysterious illness ravaging the residents, and reemerging questions about Cole’s role in the tragedy that drove him away 10 years ago. With the aid of an unhelpful spirit, a disfigured ghost, and his two oldest friends, Cole tries to figure out his purpose, and unravel the mysteries he left behind a decade ago. Will he find the answers in time to save his community?

Strangers is the first novel in The Reckoner, a series by David Alexander Robertson, award–winning writer and author of HighWater Press’ acclaimed children’s book When We Were Alone.